Stefan is the artistic director of Gallery of Tones. He was inspired by his teacher Misha Mengelberg and the Amsterdam BIM scene. His music evolved from jazz and improvised music to the simplicity of traditional songs, world music and ritual music. Stefan is known as a particularly good accompanist, which can be heard in his duo with the famous saxophonist Paul van Kemenade.

Since a few years Stefan has been focusing on composing semi-classical solo pieces for piano and he has developed a teaching and practice program for all styles and levels. In doing so he uses his own ‘Minimal Method’ and his own current interpretation of ‘Dynamic Piano Teaching’ by the Hungarian piano pedagogue Margit Varró, a contemporary of Béla Bartók.

With Gallery of Tones, Stefan initially created a platform for the concert series Pianolab at the Goethe Institute (2006-2012) and to present his own projects and those of his colleagues. His quartet ‘FUGARA’ had its premiere in this context before achieving success at many international festivals. The production ‘InnerTimeSpace’, with music from Armenian sources, also evolved on this breeding ground.

In 2020, Gallery of Tones will be further developed into a platform for freelancers in music and music education. Among other things, Gallery of Tones facilitates online teaching programs and organizes concerts and series at fixed locations. You can find more about Gallery of Tones here.

Coaching

Stefan’s lessons are characterized by playing by ear, playing by heart and playing with variations and improvisation. With his ‘Minimal Method’, based on the book ‘Dynamic Piano Teaching’ by Margit Varro, you will learn all the techniques from the basics and how to vary them in countless ways. This works in any style and at any level.

Styles and method

Stefan about his piano classes.

Pianist

In his role as a musician and organizer, Stefan’s strength lies primarily in allowing his fellow musicians to shine. As an accompanist, he has played with Markus Stockhausen, Markku Ounaskari, Tom Arthurs, Jan Bang, Samuel Rohrer, Jorge Pardo and Dinesh Mishra, and with ensemble FUGARA and his duo with saxophonist Paul van Kemenade he has been a guest at festivals in Russia, China, Morocco, Berlin, Moers and Salzburg, among others, and at North Sea Jazz.

Music and Health

In 2018, the project ‘Music and Health’ was commissioned by the German health insurance company AOK. Together with Dr. Frank Henn and Michael Kahlert, Stefan gives lectures and weekend workshops for self-help groups of, for example, the long-term sick or people in the recovery process. The course inspires them to improve their life situation through musical means. The success and reactions that result are encouraging. Contact Stefan for this current form of music coaching.